Lawrenceville
From U. S. 25 (Dixie Highway), Kentucky 1993 runs westerly to intersect with Kentucky 1995 at Lawrenceville. Kentucky 1993 continues through Lawrenceville to Holbrook where it intersects Kentucky 22 (Dry Ridge-Owenton Road). Kentucky 1995 runs from Salem Church Road across Simpson Ridge Road to Heekin and on past Lawrenceville to Lusby Mill Road toward Owen County. Blaine Flege suggested that the name Cross Roads was used first because of the location, but had to be changed because the name was already in use in the state. Post office records were lost for Lawrenceville, but the early school records used Cross Roads.
Roads made Cross Roads accessible to the Covington-Lexington Turnpike near Mason and to Owenton even in the early days of the county. Even before Grant County was formed from Pendleton County, the area land owners helped keep the roads open to enable everyone to get around to conduct business.
Grant County Court Minutes from 1820 Forward transcribed and printed by Editor Clayton Roland reported those surveying or working on roads:
Anderson Simpson, early settler in the Lawrenceville area was involved in early road surveying or viewing.
April 1823, Perry Chipman was road surveyor with Thos. Beard, Jesse Edwards, Wm. Jump, John Jump, George Jump, Nathaniel Points, and Hugh Withers.
June 1823, Perry Chipman moved to view a road near James Gouge's (from the Turnpike near Lawrenceville) to Ford's Mill by Wm. New, John Jump, Reuben Thornhill, and John Thornhill.
September 8, 1823, Perry Chipman, John Kinman, Andrew Myers, Stephen Beverly, and Wm. Jump were to view a road.
June 14, 1824, at court held at the courthouse, it was ordered that Joseph Juett be appointed overseer with Daniel Clifton, James Faulkner, Joshua Faulkner, Samuel Hix, Anderson Simpson, James Steward and their hands to keep road repaired leading from Turnpike near Agee's toward Hesler's Mill in Owen County.
April 1826, Anderson Simpson was appointed road surveyor to replace Joseph Juitt with John Ingram, Samuel Hix (Hicks), and Lewis Simpson furnishing hands. The specifications were from Turnpike to Heslerville.
In January 1828, Jesse Wilson was appointed with Lawrence Buskirk, Lewis Buskirk and Reuben Dota as road commissioners for the road from James Collins' to Thrasher's Mill. According to Pendleton County, Kentucky Order Books, in 1815 John Thrasher served on a jury petitioned for a water gristmill on Grassey Creek by Balew, a relative.
In July 1830, Anderson Simpson was appointed surveyor of Owenton Road from the turnpike near Agee's. In October 1837, Anderson Simpson was exempt from road work because he was over 45 years of age.
In September Court 1842, page 281, it was ordered that A. D. Blanchett, with James Gouge, H. L. Blanchett, and Allen Scott be appointed viewers for a road to run from the Turnpike to the Owen County Line to Eagle Creek along the ridge.
In January Term 1843, it was reported on page 285 that James Robinson prayed the court for a road from Straight Fork (a creek) on Owenton Road to intersect between C. Musselmans and Grassey Creek (probably Grassy Run). Viewers of ground to be Wm. Hicks, John Ingram, and Alexander Daughterty.
Established on June 7, 1876, postmasters listed were Mozee and William Alzer. Others were James Shyrock (September 15, 1882), followed by Carter S. Simpson (1883), then Jasper Holbrook, William Cates, William N. Downs, Louis Holbrook, William T. Read, Gilby Gaugh, Walter Brock (twice), Edward Winters, Alva Shipert, Caleb Jones, Edward Bickers, George Adams, Reuben Wilhoit, David Ringo (1904), with Cuthbert the final name in 1906 when mail was discontinued and delivered through Williamstown.
Early Settlers
Anderson Simpson had settled in the Cross Roads area prior to 1820. He was buried in the Wilson-Simpson Cemetery two miles from U. S. 25 on the Lawrenceville Road about .3 miles east of Keefer on the farm of E. P. Whaley. Anderson married Susannah and they were the parents of Harriet Simpson Wilson (1826-1909), wife of James H. Wilson.
During the Civil War on October 2, 1862, the Union Cavalry surprised and captured 18 Confederates who were in charge of a camp area that was used to stable 100 rebel horses. In the skirmish one soldier was badly wounded. Clad in portions of the uniforms of both sides, he staggered to the Wilson farm home. James Wilson sent his 13-year-old son, Clay, on horseback to Williamstown for a doctor. In spite of medical attention, the young man died and was buried on the Wilson farm. His grave was the initial one in the Wilson-Simpson Cemetery. No one ever knew the identity of this soldier. One of the Federal Marshals during the Civil War was Billy Dick Simpson.
Another Civil War experience was on August 15, 1864, when the Union General Burbridge executed three Confederate prisoners for the killing of two Union men the previous month by guerillas. One of the men slain in July was Anderson Simpson's grandson and namesake. The Union general based in Georgetown caused another incident at Keefer when he directed the execution of two Link brothers on leave from the Confederate Army in reprisal for the death in the Big Woods near Holbrook of a Union Home Guard man. Fred Flege remembers seeing General Burbridge and his wife living in a boarding house in Lexington when Fred and his brother, Blain Flege, were attending the University of Kentucky in 1916. Another Civil War veteran teased the general by calling him "Old Horse Thief".
John Estill Mitts had several sons living in the Cross Roads area after 1860. They were Ephraim J. "Dick" Mitts, who married a Lawrenceville granddaughter of Samuel Hicks (veteran of the War of 1812). William Perry Mitts, who reared his five children on a nearby farm, and James Wilson Mitts. The Lawrenceville school house was on the John Mitts farm.
The Baptist churches were the first in the county. In 1820, when Grant County was established, the two churches mentioned were Fork Lick Baptist (at the site of the new bridge over Fork Lick on Kentucky 36) and The Old Baptist Church on the Dry Ridge.
The St. Joseph Catholic Church was dedicated in 1878 in Blanchett (on U. S. 25 south of Mason). When the St. Joseph Catholic Church at Blanchett ceased operation, the structure was taken apart and moved to Lawrenceville where it was reassembled for use by a Baptist congregation. The cross was removed from the steeple, but the church still shows a resemblance to the photograph in the 1901 Courier. The fleur-de-lis above the pointed doors at the roof line bespeak the French heritage of the Blanchett family. After the Baptist congregation ceased use of the building in 1906, Vivian and Alex DeZarn purchased it and ran a store there.
Lawrenceville Baptist Church in Cross Roads affiliated with the Southern Baptist Association when organizing in 1874. Brother William Cobb was moderator and C. M. Stamper was clerk. Following churches were represented: from Mussel Shoals, Brother Wm. Cobb, James W. Cobb, J. D. Cobb, Ray N. Martin, and C. M. Stamper; from Hebron Church, Louis C. Gross and J. P. Gross; from Flat Creek, John W. Evans.
The charter members were Isaac Holbrook, Sarah Holbrook, Pressiller Simpson, Hannah Simpson, J. C. Holbrook, M. E. Holbrook, L. B. Holbrook, Emma Holbrook, E. E. Taylor, Jesse Simpson, Bartlett Mason, H. E. Mason, William Mason, Mollie Mason, O. P. Simpson, Rosey Simpson, Susan Simpson, John Lummess, Ida Simpson, Silas B. Brown, Elizabeth Brown, Mary C. Brown, G. W. York, Sarah York, Samuel Robinson, Sebeny Coile, Annie L. Childers, Jasper Simpson, Alice Simpson, Amy Shyrock, William Gunnell, Millie Holbrook, Alfred Taylor, Mack Jones, Surmidy Gunnell, Robert Simpson, Emma Hampton, Green Robinson, and Hattie Stevens.
The church was organized in a barn and the first building was erected in 1887. The pastor's salary for the year was $95. The deed was secured and recorded in 1902 from Robert Simpson. Aaron Parsons was the first minister licensed to preach by the church in 1908. In 1925 the church left Concord Association and came into Crittenden Association, both in the Southern Baptist Convention. The building was damaged by a cyclone in 1927. Forest Taylor was ordained. The church was wired for electricity in 1930. In 1940 Achel B. Colvin became pastor, and Omer Simpson was licensed to preach in 1943. The present building was dedicated in 1949.
History of Grant County
John B. Conrad, Editor
Article by M. L. Mitts Evans, 1992
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